Secret Son
by moor
Summary: AU. UchiSaku. The new dynamic in the clanstead home would take some getting used to, and some investigation, too. As the sleeping village's quietude comforted him, Sasuke considered what awaited him once he reached the clan compound. Another Uchiha. Hn. But… how? (ItaSaku, SasuSaku, MadaSaku)


Sakura stilled as she came across the young man, barely more than a boy, who stared at her as she passed through the Uchiha District's tall, renovated gates.

"Can I help you?" She asked, smiling at his dark hair, dark eyes, his solemn expression. His slender, athletic build, his intelligent eyes, his hair both spiky and long; his leashed, thoughtful countenance; they all reminded her so much of Sasuke, and Itachi. Had he been closely related to the Main House of the Uchiha?

He looked around the empty buildings, the silence permeating the abandoned area. "Where is my clan?"

Her blood chilled a fraction in her veins at his low, mature tone. She glanced around, sensing for anyone who may be hiding nearby in case this was a joke of some sort. "The Uchiha don't have a very big clan any longer. There are only two members left that I know about. Uchiha Sasuke, who I'm visiting today, and Uchiha Itachi. Are you an Uchiha, too?"

He nodded once. "The orphan train deposited me here. No one else would take me in when I explained I was an Uchiha. They said this was the only place for me." He looked around again before turning to look at Sakura. "But it is deserted."

The orphan trains. Necessary, but the necessity was what pulled at Sakura's heart. So many families had been lost during the final battle that many children had become separated from their parents, and their parents had passed away in the conflict. Now their children wandered. The villages had bound together to organize groups of recovery-nin who travelled around collecting the children to re-habituate them with other families or family members, when possible. However, when there were too many children, or too few resources, sometimes the children were brought to the nearest village and left to the village to sort out.

As it seemed to be in this young man's case.

"My name is Sakura. Do you remember your parents' names?" Amnesia had been a common challenge for the medics who attempted to relocate the children. Trauma was more common than breakfast for most of them. "And may I ask your name, please?"

She held out her hand.

"Madara. Uchiha Madara," he replied, grasping her hand.

She choked internally. "W-was that your name, or your father's?" She refused to jerk her hand back in reflex, but it was a difficult instinct to quell. _He's a child, he's a child_ , she repeated to herself.

"Both. I believe," he said, inky brow furrowing. He shifted the canvas bags strapped to his back and torso. "Please do not be alarmed."

"I'm not alarmed."

His expression turned amused. "Your heart rate has increased, the tendons in your neck bulge due to stress, and your eyes widened while your irises shrank. You are afraid of my name."

Swallowing her anxiety, Sakura forced herself to calm. "You are accustomed to people having this reaction to you?"

He nodded. "Now, yes. Prior to the chaos, I would receive the occasional double-look, but nothing further in passing. Now, others can't seem to avoid me fast enough."

Sakura wasn't aware of any other branches of Uchiha living outside of Konoha, but she supposed there could have been the occasional incident outside the borders, during missions perhaps, which led to there being an Uchiha born out of wedlock. But he said his father's name was also Madara. Was also an Uchiha. It made her head spin.

Sakura squeezed his hand and forced herself to smile. "Let's go speak to Sasuke. He and Itachi will know where the family records are. We'll be able to check there," she swallowed, "Madara."

Some of the amused glint in his dark eye faded, and his shoulders firmed up, formally, as he bowed slightly to her. "Thank you for your assistance. I apologize for troubling you."

"Not at all," she said, and they released hands. "This way."

She would speak to Sasuke first. Then she would speak to Tsunade. There was something strange in the air.

* * *

The further in they walked, the less dilapidated the buildings became.

"What happened here?"

"The clan haven't lived here for…" Sakura thought back. "Over a decade. Sasuke and Itachi maintain some of the buildings for their own use. They have re-built and renovated others. Sometimes they are rented out to the Village for different purposes. It's a large campus for two single men to maintain, though. I've been trying to convince them to hire a small team to help them, but they can be stubborn." She winked at him.

The young man at her side nodded. "Ah."

Sakura's eyes widened again.

He looked up at her, knowing something he'd done had caught her attention. "Hn?"

Ignoring the eery tingling that shimmied between her shoulder blades and down her spine, Sakura let herself laugh and shook her head. "You are definitely an Uchiha."

Madara looked up at her, brows dipping into a small furrow.

"I mean that in a nice way," she clarified, smiling at him. "Oh good, Sasuke's out. Sasuke! I have a guest!" she lifted her hands to her mouth to make a megaphone shape, then waved at him.

Atop the roof of the building he and Itachi were renovating that week, his gi hanging loose and half-off his back as it tucked into his belt, Sasuke half-turned and waved at Sakura, raising a finger. He'd be right down. He set down his tools into his wrap-up tool kit.

"He's only a teenager?"

Sakura looked down at Madara. "Almost twenty, like me."

"Is his brother older? Who is the head of the clan?"

Sakura considered her words carefully. "Itachi is the official clan head. I don't believe he and Sasuke are very formal about official decision-making. They share their duties and responsibilities."

"We have no matriarch?"

Sakura blushed. "You'll need to ask them about that."

Madara's focus turned to Sakura and she led him to Sasuke and Itachi's home. The large, traditional manor was surrounded by a wrap-around porch, an elegant, well-tended garden with a deep, pristine pond and koi fish lazing about in the cooler depths.

"Head in, I'll be right there," said Sasuke, hopping down from the roof, tools under his arm. "I'm returning these to the shed."

"I'll get the water ready," she said, smiling as she let Madara in.

"They do their own labour?"

"For now," she said. "Not as glamourous as you were expecting?"

"I don't know what I was expecting," he replied, as he looked around the open, well-maintained building.

"Kitchen's through here. I'll get us snacks."

Madara nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table, watching Sakura. "You are quite at home."

"I've known Sasuke a long time. We're on the same team."

He watched her wash and peel and prepare a platter of fruit, adding a side of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and on a separate dish some dango that she pulled from her grocery bag. After a brief moment of indecision, she popped open another cupboard and added some dried, salty nori.

When she looked up to meet his gaze, she paused. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think to ask. Are you hungry? Have you eaten your lunch yet?"

"I ate supper last night, and the orphan train dropped me off in the village mid-morning."

Her face paled, then flushed brightly, two spots of fury rising high on her cheeks. "I'll look into that. And I apologize." She immediately ripped open a nearby cupboard and began dragging out pots, pans, lids, vegetables, meats, and everything in between. "We'll get you a decent meal immediately."

"I didn't mean to put you to any trouble—"

"What's going on?"

"I'm making him a damn meal before I go rip the Orphaneers a new one," bit out Sakura, her eyes blazing fury.

Behind her, Sasuke arrived through a rear door, his hair dripping from a quick wash outside. His afternoon atop the roof had given his pale skin a faintly sun-kissed glow, and he had pulled his arms back through his gi again before facing his company. Sasuke nodded at Sakura, and gently put a hand over hers, maneuvering himself between her and the stove. "You prep the vegetables. I'll handle the cooking."

"But I—"

"I will cook."

Sasuke and Sakura stared at each other a moment, before Sakura turned away with a huff. "Fine."

Sasuke lifted his eyes to the ceiling a moment before his gaze fell to his guest. He nodded at the young man, offering his hand. "I am Uchiha Sasuke. Welcome to the clan. You look familiar; are you a cousin? Or do you have business with Itachi?"

"I am Uchiha Madara. I have business with you and your brother." He shook Sasuke's hand. "I've come to take over the Uchiha clan as the proper clan head."

Sasuke eyed the young man a moment, before he smirked.

"We'll see about that. How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Do you have a rank?"

"Sasuke…"

Sasuke ignored Sakura, continuing to goad the young man at his table. "Your rank?"

"S-class."

Sakura whirled around, knife still in hand, to stare at Madara.

For his part, Sasuke nodded, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms. "And your family? Where are you from?"

"North Eastern border of Fire Country. My father's name was Uchiha Madara. He raised me. I have not seen him since The Chaos."

"So you thought you'd come slumming with the rest of the clan, as it were?"

"Sasuke!"

"I have heard that you and your brother are the only Uchiha left, yet neither of you has taken any initiative to revive the clan. You are each a disgrace to the Uchiha. I will do what you have not."

Sasuke's brow arched. "Let me know which building you'd like me to re-open and renovate for you and your harem, my lord," he said, before turning back to the stove and setting down a pot of water to boil, and another pan to heat oil in. "Sakura can run some blood tests to ensure you are truly Uchiha; but once that is complete, you're welcome to stay here. You'll be expected to contribute with the work and other duties." He glanced over his shoulder at Madara. "And this will all depend on the Hokage approving your citizenship request."

Madara glared coldly at Sasuke, and once more Sakura felt a shimmy down her spine.

"Also, you may want to consider using an alternate name. The shock value will wear pretty thin with most of Konoha, and you'll be facing an uphill battle when it comes to securing yourself allies and friends. Let alone a wife or concubines," said Sasuke, his tone bland.

"You mock me."

"Madara," began Sakura, taking a step towards him; but Sasuke smirked and shook his head.

"No. I pity you." He shook his hair from his eyes as he looked upon his 'cousin'. "Itachi and I face our past, and our clan's past, every day we step foot outside our door. If you have decided to embrace that shared history, it won't be… clean. You're welcome to join us, but you may find it easier, much easier, to thrive if you do so without our shared heritage."

Not bothering to acknowledge Madara's reaction, Sasuke reached for the first handful of sliced beef strips Sakura had readied on her cutting board. They hit his pan with a sizzle.

"Think hard before deciding, Madara. Our 'clan' is at a critical stage; we now get to redefine what Uchihas are known for; but we are fighting preconceived expectations each step. If you cling to the past, you will be left there. If you'd like to join my brother and I in our goal to return the Uchiha to a noble clan once more… we welcome you. But we have our own expectations."

"You discuss such things so openly with someone who is not from your clan?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I have no doubt you are Uchiha. I don't need to see your Sharingan to deduce that. Your manner and features give you away."

"I meant that harlot!"

Sakura's chopping slowed, surprised at the anger that burst from the young man she'd met less than an hour before.

But Sasuke's demeanour changed immediately upon Madara's outburst.

He rose to his full height, towering over Madara, his shoulders straight and tight, his hands fisted at his sides, his voice low. "You will speak to her with respect. Always."

"She has no place here. She's not Uchiha."

Sasuke's hands flexed. "She is the one who helped ensure there would still _be_ Uchiha left to rebuild the clan. She has saved my and my brother's life more often than I could ever count. Or deserve. She is also the Hokage's apprentice, the best medic in the Five Nations outside of her mentor, and politically affiliated with nearly every shinobi village. She has offered you help, and she brought you to your home and clan, and _you will respect her._ "

Madara scoffed, and choked when Sasuke threw him up against a wall, Sakura leaping to grab Sasuke's arm.

"I found him inside the main gates," clarified Sakura. "But it looks like I shouldn't have brought him further than that. I'm sorry, Sasuke, Madara. I'll take Madara to the Hokage and she can decide what to do with him. Please put him down, I'll take responsibility for him."

"Weak. Useless," hissed Madara, his dark eyes bleeding red as he glared at her over Sasuke's shoulder. "Why do you allow her to speak over you? You're a whelp. Your brother's a whelp, too, no doubt."

"Can I please just knock him out and take him to Tsunade? Sasuke?"

"Shut. Up." Sasuke's own eyes pinwheeled as he scoffed in turn at the young man's Sharingan. "You are nothing. You have nothing to prove who you are. No one else in the village will take you in if you keep claiming to be Madara's son, and the minute you spin your Sharingan the nearest ANBU unit will have you bound and contained in the deepest bowels of the Torture and Interrogation division. And I will claim to have no knowledge of you, or affiliation with you, and you will enjoy their hospitality until the day you rot to death in your five-by-five cell."

Sakura sighed and stepped back. Sasuke wasn't going to kill him. He'd made that clear. Well, fine. Good enough. She went back to slicing up their meal preparations.

"Your attitude is everything that was wrong with the Uchiha. My brother and I refuse to allow that sentiment back in. And if it means we have no matriarch and we go without heirs, then so be it. The clan will end with us."

"Your sentimentality is sickening."

Sasuke smirked. "The Uchiha are principled, or perhaps your progenitor forgot to drill that in your head when he filled it with hate and narcissism."

"My father was a great man! He was the greatest shinobi who ever lived!"

Sasuke's brow arched as he dropped Madara. "And where is he now?"

With that, he turned his back on Madara, the ultimate insult, and returned to the stove.

"Sakura?"

"Yes?"

Sasuke nodded at Madara. "Could you please heal his bruises? After supper, we'll take him to see Tsunade."

"I don't need her to heal me."

"You don't get a choice." Sasuke gave Sakura a look she'd seen plenty of times before.

"Please cooperate," she sighed. "I'd rather not incapacitate you."

"As if you could."

Sasuke's snicker was the last thing Madara heard before he woke up in the Hokage's office later that night.

* * *

Tsunade had folded her arms beneath her ample bosom as she leaned back in her chair.

"So, to summarize: we have a smart ass tweenage Uchiha brat with no local family and a vendetta against the older ones. Who wants to take over said clan and rebuild it. And who insulted my apprentice by claiming that she was beneath him. Did I get that right? "

Sakura nodded.

"I'm assuming you corrected some of his behaviour."

"Once Sasuke gave me the okay. Technically he was the Elder of a clan, so I waited."

Shaking her head Tsunade yawned. "Damn clans and their politics. Okay, let's see this upstart. Is he as much of an arse as Sasuke was at his age?"

"I swear he was a polite, if standoff-ish kid when I met him initially. It was only after talking to Sasuke that he went bonkers."

"Talking to Uchihas has been known to induce that reaction in others."

"Come in, please. The Hokage will see you now, " said Sakura as she smiled at Sasuke and Madara. They had waited just outside the doors of the Hokage's office.

"I'll wake him up," said Sakura, gently lifting the young man from the bench she'd set him on.

Reanimated once again, and now sitting in one of Tsunade's guest chairs, Madara immediately faced the Hokage.

"Uchiha Madara. I am the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, Senju Tsunade. I hear you are already repeating the mistakes of your clan."

"Trusting fools to rebuild it?"

"NO!" She slammed her hand down on the heavy desk. "Insulting my brilliant apprentice! I don't know what foolish notions you arrived with but they end here now. Because understand this: Sakura is the one who will likely be patching you up when you return from missions. Sakura is my personal assistant. Sakura is the director at the hospital in my stead. Sakura is a member of the elite in Konoha, a war heroine, and she did all that before any single one of your predecessors. She has my full trust, and my confidances, and my authority in nearly all matters. What you choose to do is up to you; but what you choose to do to her reflects upon your clan and on yourself, and I strongly recommend you consider your actions thoroughly before making any more mistakes."

Tsunade sat back down again, and Sakura maintained her position just behind and to the side of her master.

"It was a long time before Sasuke and Itachi were accepted in Konoha after the actions of your clan-members. A big part of the Village's growing trust in them during their re-integration was due to Sakura's efforts. She extended it to Sasuke due to their shared history; and she extended it to Itachi at Sasuke's request. You, as far as I know, have no connection here to pave that path for you."

Leaning across her desk, Tsunade set her elbows down and crossed her fingers in front of her face.

"So tell me, Uchiha Madara. What are you bringing to the table, and what makes you think that after insulting my second-in-command you are to be welcomed by the clan that has no shame, dignity or sway here in Konoha any longer?"

The tight look on the young man's fact was classic Uchiha, and it made Sakura nearly smile with familiarity. Sasuke had worn that expression often as they'd grown up.

"What I bring to the table is the obvious: Another Uchiha to bolster the ranks of Konoha's shinobi forces. Another Sharingan. Another man who is dedicated to rebuilding his clan, actively, to re-secure the prestige of the Uchiha and raise Konoha's profile among the Five Nations. Once I reach the age of majority I intend to secure an heir immediately. It is more than my predecessors," he glared at Sasuke, "have managed in their years here. They seem happy to squander their precious lineage and advantages. As for why they should welcome me, I bring them what they do not have: My father's history, his secrets, his techniques, his skills as a shinobi. Things that were never written down. He discovered much that was never shared after his clan turned their back on him."

"Was Madara really your father? The original Madara?"

Nodding, Madara passed a scroll to Tsunade. "He created me in his image."

Sasuke and Sakura stirred at this, but Tsunade raised her hand to still them.

"Created you in his image?"

"I have no mother."

"Are you a clone?"

Sakura held her breath at Tsunade's question.

"Of a sort. I am physically his double; however I do not possess all his memories."

"All?"

"I have some. The ones he would have had by this age."

"Which means that as you get older, you will regain more of his memories?"

"Possibly. He is no longer alive to 'trigger' them, so I do not know for certain. Sometimes I wake with memories I didn't have the day before. Sometimes I see something and it causes a memory to surface. Sometimes I go days without noticing a change."

Tsunade locked eyes with him, her mien steady. "Are you willing to swear fealty to Konoha, from now unto the end of your days? To follow your brothers' example and their lead for the Uchiha clan and its reinstatement as a Konoha Great Clan? Are you willing to submit to regular physical, mental, and emotional screens to monitor your progress and reintegration into Konoha's citizenry?"

"I refuse to let my clan die out because its members choose not to procreate."

Tsunade snorted. "Have you asked them why they aren't breeding like rabbits?"

He frowned at her.

She smiled at Madara before turning to his cousin. "Sasuke, do you want to field this one?"

"Not particularly," he muttered, looking away.

"Shishou," scolded Sakura lightly, her cheeks pinking.

Tsunade chuckled. "Fine." She looked back to Madara. "He and his brother want the same woman, and she has declined them both because she feels her duty is to her village."

"Then she must not be very intelligent, and this reflects on both her decision-making and that of my cousins. This would be the greatest honour she could offer her village. Surely she knows she could do more good providing a home and heirs than whatever her current role is. In my father's day women would have been raised from birth to take over the role of matriarch, vying for the position."

"Yeah, those days are long gone," snorted Tsunade. "Well, to some extent. Many women continue to throw themselves at Itachi and Sasuke, but they are content to wait their intended out."

"This is why you need me," pointed out Madara. "I get what I want. The kunoichi I decide on will be more than happy to choose me and assist me in re-establishing the Uchiha."

Tsunade rested her chin in her palm, her elbow propping her up on her desk. "You said you were thirteen. Are you really planning on being a daddy that early? The age of majority here is seventeen, for your reference."

"That gives me more than enough time to establish myself as a shinobi, improve the reputation of the Uchiha, reconnoitre the kunoichi, decide on whom I intend to pursue, marry and impregnate her."

"I see you follow Sasuke's School of Romantic Pursuit," muttered Tsunade, ignoring the pained look Sakura shot her mentor. "You Uchiha were born to be heart-breakers."

"I do not appreciate your tone," said Madara.

"Not many do," agreed Tsunade. "But I'm in charge. All right. This evening Sakura will take you to the outpatient clinic at the hospital to run some blood tests. She'll report to me directly the initial results, then I will pass them on to you. This week we will determine your official skill level, and then your tentative rank for missions. Tomorrow you write the Academy exam. The day after you will be escorted to the training grounds to be tested on your taijutsu, ninjutsu, weapons skills, etc. You'll also undergo some psych evals this week, at some point. At this time, you are not to activate your Sharingan unless specifically directed, and not without the presence of Itachi, Sasuke, or a third man by the name of Hatake Kakashi. Is this understood?"

"Understood and agreeable?"

"No, just understood. I'm the boss. I don't care if you agree; that's up to your behaviour and decisions to demonstrate. If you don't understand anything, now's the time to ask. Ignorance doesn't equate to innocence here in Konoha."

Sitting back in his seat, Madara let out a low breath, his eyes flicking between the three adults.

"Where do I stay?"

"Normally we hand non-Konoha S-class nin over to Torture and Interrogation," said Tsunade, who didn't fail to notice the tension that sprang through the young man's limbs. She wondered what Sasuke had been up to already. "However, as you seem to be quite motivated to establish yourself in Konoha, I will leave it up to you. If you ask Sasuke nicely, he may open up a room in his manse. Or provide you with some funds to secure lodgings outside the Uchiha District until you are officially accepted. What would you prefer?"

He looked the group over again, tilting his head to the side.

"I would like to stay in the Uchiha District."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Or with Sakura."

Tsunade barked out a laugh even as Sasuke's eyes focused on the young man, murder promised in his deep, dark eyes. She grinned at him. "Figured it out, did you?"

"It didn't take much. Hers was the only non-Uchiha scent in the entire compound, and she stands at your side. Uchiha aim high. A connection with the Hokage would benefit the clan as a whole."

Tsunade shook her head. "Way to miss the forest for the trees. Well kids, what's it going to be? I need to know where to send my proctors to collect him."

"He will stay on the compound. We have several buildings available."

"Not in the Main House with you and Itachi?" asked Sakura. She crossed her arms, unimpressed with the glare Sasuke shot her. "He's a kid, Sasuke. He has no family. It might be nice to share breakfast with your kin."

"I'm not a child; however it makes sense to share one dwelling, to pool resources. I will save my mission pay until I can afford to live on my own in another building in the District."

"The sooner the better," muttered Sasuke, turning away to look at Tsunade. "Anything else we need to know, Hokage-sama?"

She smirked at him. "Sakura's been working on your manners, I see."

"Among other things," said Sakura with a cheeky grin.

The Hokage turned to Madara. "For now, we're going to leave your chakra free, unbound and unsealed. This doesn't mean you get to cause trouble. If you're to be taken seriously as an adult, I expect you to act like one. You step out of line, it gets sealed off and you're earning it back. We're putting a lot of trust in you because of how motivated you claim to be. Show us you can be the kind of Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke strive to be, and we'll consider pulling a few strings to move you up the ranks faster. Pass tomorrow morning's exams to get your official genin rank; behave yourself and I'll see if I can sneak your name into next month's Chunin exams in Suna. We'll figure out a team for you."

Sakura's lips fell into a frown. "What have you bet with Gaara this time, Shishou?"

"Official business. We'll discuss it later."

Sakura swallowed a groan.

"Are we all in agreement? If so, Sakura will start drawing up the initial paperwork for inducting you into the citizenry on a probationary basis."

"I agree," said Sasuke.

"I agree," said Madara, after regarding them another minute.

"Good. Sakura, you have a busy night ahead of you. Now, all of you, get out of my office. Sakura, start on those papers. Sasuke, get him some clothes and food, and whatever else he needs to get set-up in a room of his own. Once the boy's eaten, bring him back here so Sakura can walk you over to the outpatient clinic. I expect regular updates. Sakura, you have my calendar."

"Yes, Shishou."

* * *

"Why did she really turn you down?"

Sasuke glared at the impertinent boy.

"She has her reasons. She is too important to be tied to a single clan."

"Or she doesn't see you that way."

At this, Sasuke smirked. "Not that."

Madara watched him, cocking his head. "You're very confident about that."

Sasuke took a bite of his hot pot beef, his shoulders relaxing. "Yes."

Stirring the hot pot broth with a netted spoon, Madara continued watching Sasuke. "Does she feel the same way about your brother? Where is he?"

"He's out. He may be home when we get back. Sakura had sent a messenger to him before we left. She'll speak with him first." He chewed a bit of watercress. "She's used to taking care of things. He'll be up to speed by the time he meets you."

"How useful," said Madara, sipping at the soup broth.

For several minutes they said nothing more, merely continued observing each other as they ate. From the whispers surrounding them in soft susurrations, Sasuke knew they'd been noticed and were already causing a stir; normally he only socialized with his teammates or brother. He had no doubt the rumour mills would be running full throttle by the time he and his long-lost cousin exited the restaurant.

"Had enough?"

Madara nodded.

Sasuke placed money on the table and rose. "We will get you properly outfitted. Shinobi gear and tailoring. I take it you have no problems with the usual clan attire?"

"No."

Sasuke nodded. "Come."

And so it went. By the time they had collected the immediate necessities and arranged for deliveries of their parcels, they wound their way back to the Hokage Tower.

"I'll say this once. Sakura has been up since yesterday and hasn't slept, and has not eaten a full meal yet. Be respectful to her, or she'll punch you through a wall."

"Not able to control her temper? How disappointing in a kunoichi. And in your choice of mate. Tsk."

"Her temper's fine. She just has a low tolerance for pissants and bullshit." Sasuke glared down at Madara as they climbed the stairs, Sasuke moving faster than strictly necessary to antagonize the younger man. "And don't refer to her as a mate. She isn't an animal."

They crested the stairs and met Sakura in an office down the corridor from Tsunade's where Sasuke knocked and entered.

Inside they found Itachi and Sakura laughing, and a small repast set out between them on her desk. A muscle in Sasuke's cheek jumped, but he nodded at them. "He's been fed. Do you need a hand with anything?"

Itachi shook his head. "Sakura had provided me with all I needed. I understand he moves in this evening."

"For better or for worse. Until he earns enough to provide for himself."

"Way to make him feel welcome," muttered Sakura from behind them all, shaking her head at them. "What was all that about turning the Uchihas into a warmer, cuddlier clan?"

Itachi gave her an amused look while Sasuke gave her the finger.

She laughed. "Fine, fine," she yawned. "Right. I have to get you over to outpatient."

"Shall I collect these for you? You can continue working at home, or while the nurses attend our cousin. I'll bring them over to you."

"Thank you, Itachi, that would be wonderful. We'll be in Triage Three."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as she left with Sasuke and Madara.

"Not so confident now," remarked Madara, noting Sasuke's tense shoulders.

"Hmm?" asked Sakura, looking over her shoulder at them.

"Hn."

She shrugged and continued.

It took an hour or so, and Itachi joined them quickly, as promised. Together, she and the Uchiha brothers completed the remaining paperwork while Sakura saw to a barrage of tests with Madara.

"Okay," yawned Sakura, rubbing a hand down her face. "We're officially through stage one of adopting you, Mada-chan."

Madara's teeth ground together even as Sasuke and Itachi chuckled.

"Now, it's late enough that you should all head back. I'll finish up my work at home and make sure this is passed through quickly for you. Any questions before we split?"

"I would appreciate it if you used my proper name."

"Duly noted."

"I'll walk you home," said Itachi, turning to Sakura and collecting her things for her.

Sasuke's jaw tightened again, and Madara's eyes lit up.

"I can walk Sakura home. You've had a long day, and you've yet to be blessed with the singular joy that is our new cousin's undiluted attention."

Itachi's brow arched as he looked between Sasuke and Madara.

Sasuke let some of his desperation shine through his eyes.

"I'll speak to you in the morning," Itachi said to Sakura, handing her things to Sasuke.

"Thank you for your help earlier."

He gave her a small smile, meant for her alone.

"Sasuke, I'll speak to you when you get home." He nodded to his brother, and left with Madara.

Sakura walked up to Sasuke, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Is he that annoying?" asked Sakura, resting her weary head on his shoulder.

"Yes."

She laughed, tugging him towards the hospital exit. "Are they expecting you home right away?"

' _When you get home'_ , Itachi had said. Not, ' _When you get in tonight'._

"No."

"Good." She tucked her head back into his shoulder as they walked back to her apartment.

"So, does this mean no more sharing for a bit?"

"Not at our place," grumped Sasuke.

"That _was_ convenient," said Sakura, running her hands through the shaggier locks of Sasuke's soft hair.

"We just need to be quieter, at your place."

"Mmm," she agreed, leaning into him as they reached her door. Sasuke dismantled her traps and let them both in, resetting them instinctively the moment the door closed behind them.

"Sorry we were interrupted today," he whispered against her ear, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her against him, placing open-mouthed kisses down her neck. "Today of all days."

"The timing was unfortunate, but could have been worse," she agreed. "Thank you for knocking, by the way, at my office."

"I knew he would get carried away. Possessive, selfish prick," Sasuke growled about his brother, backing them both into her room, not bothering to turn on Sakura's lights. She kept her apartment clean and tidy at all times. He breathed harshly against her collarbone as her hands trailed through his hair, and couldn't stifle his groan as she pressed herself closer. His hands lowered to hold her closer to him, cradling himself against her.

"Pot, meet kettle," she giggled, nuzzling his throat. He let his head fall back, having missed her touching and kissing him. Gods, she was too perfect.

"I'm allowed to be. He knew it was my day with you. He has you all to himself next week on that damn ANBU mission," he closed his eyes as he felt her reach for his belt. She'd already pulled his shirts loose.

"Just means we need to be more careful again, for a little bit. We'll figure it out."

"Please tell me you have almost figured out a way around that archaic marriage law," he said, not caring how much his ragged voice was begging. He would beg her.

"Clan heads are allowed multiple spouses; it gets trickier when a clan has multiple clan heads. And them sharing a spouse… there's mention of a precedent, but it's hard to wiggle out. They buried it but good. Stupid scandals. Oh, yes, please." She arched up against him as he kneaded her lower back. "I've been on my feet almost all day."

"Let's get you more comfortable, then," he smirked, and more gently than most would have thought him capable of, he lowered her inch by inch onto her bed.

He loved her like this. Her hair fanned out around her, her smiling up at him, reaching her arms up around the back of his neck, pulling him closer.

"Come here," she whispered.

His smirk gentled as he swept a lock of hair from her eyes, until he smiled genuinely at her.

"Tadaima," she said as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Tadaima," he murmured against her lips, and finally came home, lowering that last inch to meet heart to heart.

* * *

A night of sleep and a wake up round later, Sasuke left a small breakfast for Sakura while she showered and he enjoyed a quiet walk home in the pre-dawn morning. The Village hadn't woken yet and he breathed in the scents of home. So many mistakes, he'd made; and so many opportunities he'd thrown away. It was what made his time with Sakura, and his brother, that much richer in experience.

The new dynamic in the clanstead home would take some getting used to, and some investigation, too. As the sleeping village's quietude comforted him, he considered what awaited him once he reached the clan compound. Another Uchiha. Hn. But… how?

Sasuke knew he hadn't left any loose ends when he'd travelled outside Konoha's walls. Any interactions or entanglements had been brief, discreet and responsibly handled. Recreational but hardly reckless or enduring.

What of Itachi, though?

Itachi had been absent from Konoha far longer than Sasuke. Could it be that this child who claimed to be Madara's—or possibly Madara himself—be the result of Itachi's travels while undercover with the Akatsuki?

The timeline would be a tight fit, Sasuke realised. Itachi had left Konoha around a decade ago, which meant…

No, Sasuke shook his head. It was unlikely Madara was Itachi's progeny. He also doubted his brother had ever been careless with his relations, considering the heavy burden he still carried regarding their clan and its restoration. Their parents would still have been alive at the time Madara would have been conceived and Sasuke doubted Itachi would have risked…

Sasuke's thoughts became murky, as they always did when he considered That Time. It was done, they'd faced it and come to terms with it. There was no need to dwell.

No, he decided. It was too unlikely that Madara was Itachi's child.

But who else?

Physically, his features were a dead giveaway he was from the main line.

But outside their father, who could have…

Sasuke's brow furrowed.

Could…

Had he ever…

Quickening his pace, Sasuke's gait lengthened. He needed to speak to his brother.

* * *

 **TBC?**


End file.
